NinaJade82 wrote: Well... this is the actual premise of the story, so without this, there is no story.
There is a story to be told that does not involve a fairy tale and has been told multiple times by several different people. I understand why they may have chosen not to go that route for artistic reasons, but it doesn't make it any more believable. There's nothing wrong with fairy tales, but I think we can't change that fact by simply including a serious subject matter. Furthermore, we won't change or influence the actions of people engaged in dangerous activities by showing them that their gamble could result in such a fantastic result. Even the MTV reality show Teen Mom, which follows teenagers who got pregnant in an attempt to show their hardships, has encouraged young girls to make the decision to get pregnant in order to be on TV, get paid significantly, end up on the covers of magazines and become mini-celebrities. I actually don't really have a problem with this drama being a fairy tale, but I do think it needs to be viewed as such.
My biggest problem with the drama is the main character. She's annoying, and I got tired of her being immature. I realize that she's young, but when you have experiences in your life like she does, you have to grow up to some extent (not overnight, but you have to grow up a little faster). I felt like the story line continued to paint her as a victim when not only did she make her own choices (for what I think were superficial reasons), but she doesn't regret them because it sets her on this fairy tale path. I also think if she was more mature, I would be more willing to buy her romantic relationship. Ultimately, the character's lack of depth and originality bored me. However, the exact opposite is true of Keigo. His character is wonderfully complex in the ways you've described. I also think both of the main actors did a good job.
Like Juniko said, it does a great job of showing how easily people make decisions that can ruin their whole lives. Hopefully it helped some people realize they shouldn't judge others so harshly. We all make mistakes, and sometimes they are huge ones. That alone doesn't mean we're evil or less than anyone else. We are not defined by one act, even if the consequences of that act follow us for a lifetime.
